Bath-room fixture.



H. w. A. LEHNERT.

BATH ROOM FIXTURE.

APPLICATION flLED JULY I3. 1915.

Patented June 5, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- H. W. A. LEHNERT; BATH ROOM FIXTURE,

APPLICATION map JULY 13. ms.

Patented June 5, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UNITED STATES PATENT ounce.

HENRY W. A. LEH'NERT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IBATH-ROOM FIXTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 5, 1917.

Application filed July 13, 1915. Serial No. 39.719.

The invention consists of the elements,

combinations and arrangements of parts shown and described in this specification, the advantages resulting therefrom being pointed out in the course of the description; and the scope of protection contemplated will appear fromthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as a part of this specification and in which I have shown a merely preferred form of embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 illustrates a shower bath attachment including my invention in top plan view; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, with parts broken away, and Fig. 3 is a detail with parts in section'and parts in elevation illustrating the double valve arrangement. Fig. 4 is a view of a modification, generally similar to Fig. 1, but with parts in horizontal section; Fig. 5 is a detail, partly ,in longitudinal vertical section, illustrating the double valve, and Fig. 6 is a detail jyvith parts in vertical section, taken at right angles to the view of Fig. 5.

Referring to the numerals on the drawings, there is indicated at 7 a one piece fixture having an inlet for hot water controlled by means of a valve 8, the hot water supply pipe being indicated at 9, and having also a valve-controlled inlet from a cold water supply pipe 10, the valve being indicated at 11. The water thus admitted from either the supply pipe 9 or 10, or both, is sent from the interior of the fixture 7 to either the over-head shower supply pipe 12 or a hand-spray supply pipe 14. It has heretofore been the custom to provide in the'fixture 7 a separate and separately controlled valve for the over-head shower and for the hand-spray. With such an arrangement the user is very apt to turn oil both the overhead shower and the hand-spray, forgetting to turn ed the valves 8 and 11, which control the main water supply, since there is nothing to call his attention to the fact that these valves are open. The consequence is that there is a circulation through the fix-' ture 7, the hot water finding its way'into the cold water pipes. By my invention, instead of providing two separate valves for the over-head shower and the hand-spray, I provide in the fixture a single valve member which has two positions, in one of which the over-head shower is open and the handspray closed, while in the other position the over-head shower is closed and the handspray open. Such a valve member I have indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the'drawings, the valve seat for the over-head shower being indicated at 15, the valve seat for the hand-spray at 16, and a member 17 being mounted within the fixture for reciprocation by means of the crank l8 connected to the valve stem 19, this reciprocating valve member having two gasketed portions 20 and 21. In the position shown in Fig. 2 the valve member 17 closes ofi' entirely the over-head shower, while permitting communication with the hand-spray; and of course in the other position of the valve memberl7 the hand-spray is closed off while the over-head shower is open. I prefer that the crank 18 shall extend loosely through the reciprocating valve member 17 about midway of the length thereof and have a bearing in the inner wall of the fixture, as shown in Fig. 3. The valve stem 19 will, of course, be properly packed in any usual or preferred man ner.

The consequence of the arrangement described will be that since one can turn off only the hand-spray or the overhead shower, and since one or the other of these will always be open, if the valve 8 or 11 should be accidentally left open, attention will be called to the fact by reason of the continued flow of water through either the over-head shower or the hand-spray.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6 I have shown how my invention may be applied in a fixture which is intended to be concealed within a wall, the fixture shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 being of the ordinary unconcealed type. Referring to Figs. 4, 5 and 6 there is shown a fixture 7 similar to that already described, having a I provide valve members, particularly the valve member controlling the over-head shower and hand-spray, which may be readily removed without the necessity for tearing out T the Whole fixture from its place Within the Wall.- To this end I provide the outer ends of the valve bonnets 24 and 25, with threaded portions '26. Scutcheons 27 are threaded to engage with these threaded portions 26 and are adapted to be screwed down until they are flush with the wall 28. Preferably also a packing nut 29 will surround the valve stems 30 beyond the threaded portions 26 of the bonnets. Considering now more particularly the double valve member for controlling the over-head shower and hand-spray, the fixture 7 is provided with a tubular ofi'set portion'31, with in which is-held a member 32, which is screw threaded at its outer end to engage with corresponding screw threads on the inside of the tube 31, as indicated at 34. This mem:

ber 32 is longitudinally bored to receive the v I valve stem 35, and it is bifurcated at its lower end as indicated at 36. Spacing members 37 are provided between the member 32 and the side walls of the'tube 31, and

within the bifurcations the end of the stem' 35 is provided with a cam 38, whichefl'ects reciprocation of a U-shaped member 39 in a direction transverse of the length of the stem 35, said U-shaped member being slidably held between the bifurcations of the member 32, this U-shaped member of course being provided with a slot in its base for the passage of the stem 35. The outer faces of the arms of the U-shaped member are provided with gaskets 40. and 4-1, the first of which, when it is moved into contact with the valve seat e2, closes oil" the water supply to the over-head shower,whilethe gasket 41, when it is moved into contact with the valve seat i l, closes off the supply of water to the hand-spray. ,It is to be understood that when the supply to the'hand-spray'is cut ofi, that to the over-head shower is open,

and vice versa.. The movements of this U-shaped valve member do not afiect 'at all mes es ments therethrough to the over-head shower and hand-spray. If anything goes wrong with the valve mechanisms it will be evident that they may be easily removed, the valves 8 and 11 upon removing the scutcheons 27 and packing nuts 29, and the double valve by simply unscrewing the member 32 and then pulling it out. 4 v

Inasmuch as many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely difi'erent-embodiments of my invention could be'made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 7

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all the generic and specific and allstatements of the scope of the invention which, asa matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim: 1. A fixture of the kind described, having a pair of inlets and a pair of outlets, a separate valve for each of the inlets, and a single valve controlling both outlets whereby when one of the outlets is open the other is closed, said single valve member being sli ably removable fromthe fixture in a direction at right angles to thedirection of movement of the valve. I,

2. A fixture of the kind described, "having a water supply inlet and having a tubular offset portion, a member slidable into the tubular ofi'set portion and adapted to be held therein, said member having its inner end bifurcated, a stem passing through said member and carrying at its inner end between the bifurcation, a cam, and a U- shaped member slidable within said bifurcations and having on its arms gaskets,'the

' said fixture being provided with opposed valve seats/with either of which said U- shaped member may cooperate.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HENRY w. :LEHNERT. 

